Formerly a paddy field, this Malaysian garden in Janda Baik is now a tranquil oasis

In an effort to preserve their family history, this 100-year-old traditional house built by Omar Ariff’s great-grandfather was moved to Sentosa Janda Baik in 2006. Photos: The Star/Izzrafiq Alias

The garden at Sentosa Janda Baik doesn’t look designed. In fact, it’s exuberant, free-flowering, and somewhat a bit unrestrained. The plants cascade over paths and weave through one another while the soothing murmurings of birds and insects fill the air.

This adds to its rustic charm. And self-seeding plants tend to pop up in unexpected places.

Omar Ariff Kamarul Ariffin, 57, who runs Sentosa Janda Baik, explains that the property used to be a paddy field when his parents bought it more than 40 years ago.

“We slowly transformed the property and added things along the way to make it what it is today. Everything you see here in the garden was grown by my mother.”

His mum, Frances, reminisces about days long gone when the children were small and how they helped plant some of the trees on the property, even helping to build some drainage!

Forty years later, the trees have grown so much and there’s plenty of green and lots of texture in the garden.

There is a secret nook in the garden that is a tiny enclosure that she sometimes likes to go to.

“The garden is home to a lot of ponds, a river, three art galleries and a homestay where guests can relax and have lunches,” shares Omar Ariff.

“We also host different types of outdoor events, from weddings and art workshops to sound baths and cooking classes.

The White Gallery was originally an abandoned house from Kelantan discovered by Omar Ariff and his mum.

A calm retreat

When you wander through this resplendent and secluded four-acre (1.6ha) garden, much of the beauty emanates from the fact that everything is left to grow pretty much as it likes.

“With many of the plants, once they started growing, we would just cut them and replant them immediately. There are huge tropical palm trees in the garden and you would only probably see similar trees in Lake Gardens in KL,” shares Omar Ariff.

“If you look at the Areca palm tree or pinang tree, there are anthuriums that are growing on it and there are bird nests, which show you the age of the garden.”

There are soft, meandering pathways that lead to the 11 ponds within the sprawling garden.

“As you know, lotus blooms seasonally and we have some beautiful lotus ponds that make for great photo ops for our guests. The ponds were initially created from the paddy fields,” shares Omar Ariff.

He adds, “According to my dad, in the first three years that they had the property, they actually planted paddy. But they soon noticed that none of their other neighbours were planting paddy!

“So that’s when they decided to convert it into a garden!”

Beautiful lotuses fill the garden with vibrant colours and fragrances.

The homestay, which was the original family home, offers glimpses of the garden from almost every room, accented with a variety of flora and fauna. No matter where they are, Sentosa Janda Baik’s guests know they are welcome to relax and kick back.

The homestay has an outdoor verandah that overlooks one of the biggest ponds and it’s the perfect setting to unwind when the sun sets or to simply curl up and read a book.

Most home gardens have a romantic feel. And Sentosa Janda Baik is no different. Part of that sensibility comes from the flowers.

There are blooms in soft pastel shades and plants packed with petals, such as wild orchids and spider lilies. As an added bonus, many of these varieties are also wonderfully fragrant.

While all these elements are commonly found in a garden, the biggest rule is not trying to follow the rules.

What Omar Ariff and his family have done is create a garden that is constantly evolving, planting what they like, how they like it, for a delightful garden that celebrates nature.

The kitchen that used to belong to Omar Ariff's great-grandmother.

A snapshot in time

The owner’s favourite space represents his family’s legacy. We ask him five questions about this:

1. What is your favourite space/room?

It would have to be my great-grandmother’s kitchen from The Grandfather’s Gallery. This 100-year-old home was originally built by my great-grandfather in Kerdau, Pahang and was brought to Sentosa Janda Baik a few years ago.

2. I like this space because...

I can imagine the happenings of the past, and how the space would have been used those days. The fact that we have some of her actual cooking utensils like the coconut grater and cake moulds makes it special. I would presume she spent a lot of her time there. My dad used to tell me that he often slept in the kitchen when he visited his grandparents.

Omar Ariff could imagine the kitchen being the focal point during his great-grandmother's time.

3. What is the design concept/idea behind this room/space?

It’s quite a typical design of a traditional home in Pahang, where the kitchen was the focal point of the house.

4. What do you like the most about this room/space?

Because of the fact that it was my ancestor’s domain, as the house itself was built by my Chinese great-grandfather and a link to my great-grandmother. I recognised from a very young age what my dad was trying to preserve. That this wasn’t just about preserving our family’s legacy but also for others to see and appreciate what it was like to see a Malaysian house from almost a century ago.

5. What would you add to this space to improve it?

I like all the utensils in the kitchen, as I could almost imagine her preparing something. Besides it being a story of my family, I also want to try as much as possible to showcase the old stuff or items that represent that period of time. So I’m always on the lookout for items to buy that I do not have to add to the space.

For details on Sentosa Janda Baik, visit www.sentosajandabaik.com or go to Instagram.